The primary difference between remarriage in colonial times and today is that

• A. Most fathers did not adopt the mother's children.
• B. Most remarriages occurred after the death of a spouse.
• C. People idolized the dead spouse.
• D. The first marriages lasted much longer.

Answer: (B)

Remarriage in colonial times happened mostly after a spouse died. The social and legal climate made divorce rare and difficult, so widowed men and women often sought new partners to maintain household stability and economic security. That pattern—remarriage following widowhood—is the key difference from today, when divorce is more common and socially accepted, so many people remarry after a marriage ends rather than after a death. The other options don’t capture the main shift in how people entered new marriages: adoption practices, idolizing a deceased spouse, or the length of the first marriage aren’t the defining factors here.